Liverpool Life 9:2 October 14 2020 by Steve Harrison

Liverpool Life

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ARTS

LIFESTYLE

FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY

October 14 2020

LENNON PIANO RETURNS TO STRAWBERRY FIELD

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATED GOING SOBER FOR OCTOBER

CITY WELCOMES BACK BATMAN > Liverpool is once again being transformed into Gotham City for latest blockbuster

When the music stops the arts in crisis p11 Picture ÂŠ Shea Doolin 2

CONTENTS THIS WEEK

4&5 John Lennon’s piano returns to its spiritual

4&5

home in Liverpool

6 Black Lives Matter protest outside Anglican Cathedral

7 Students frustrated with online teaching 8 Food Banks under pressure 9 Charity launches t-shirts to support refugees in crisis

10 Anger at ‘reskill, reboot’ job message 11 We need help, plead anxious artists 12&13 Couple’s mission to make a difference ARTS

14&15 Liverpool welcomes Batman as city transforms into Gotham

16 Author’s fight for inclusivity LIFE

17 Children in Need launch urgent appeal 18 Going sober for October 19 Lockdown leaves Scouse birds feeling fowl Front cover photo © SHANNON GARNER

oday is my first experience working for Liverpool Life. As much as I’ve enjoyed the time working on this magazine, it has felt odd sitting alone in my bedroom whilst everyone else is out and about or in the newsroom. As many of you may be familiar with this feeling over the recent months, I ask the question - does anyone else absolutely hate it? If last year someone had told me that I could have attended University without having to walk the 30 minutes in horrible rain and cold, then I would have bitten their hand off - but actually, faced with the

12&13 Alone, but very much part of the team sad reality off sitting alone, I miss it all. Working from home in journalism also offers no extra benefits, with going outside to talk to people an impossible task given the circumstances I find myself in, and the constant distractions from flat mates is proving an ever difficult task to decline. But from today, not only have I learnt a lot about the magazine, but also that the little imperfections of going to university, like forgetting my key card at reception,

paying over the odds for a coffee after a long lecture, these are the things I miss most. So to anyone who may be isolating and feel alone, do remember that although you feel that way, you are still always part of a team somewhere.

Samuel Hodgkiss, Lifestyle Reporter

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Godsend Imagine’s piano returns to its spiritual home

Words: ALEX USHER

ust last week John Lennon would have turned 80, so what better way to celebrate than with one piece of Beatles history meeting another? George Michael’s estate has loaned the piano that John Lennon used to write ‘Imagine’ to its spiritual home of Strawberry Field, Liverpool. The walnut finish upright Steinway model Z piano is the exact instrument John Lennon used to write the 1971 peace anthem - a song that defined an era, as well as a movement of love and understanding. Jessica Mason, a member of staff at the Strawberry Field exhibition, said: “It’s just added another piece of history to Strawberry Field. It’s a really good story to have in times when vit hasn’t been so great.” The culturally-significant piano was purchased by George Michael back in 2000 for a price of £1.45million, a world record for the most amount of money spent on music memorabilia. After purchasing the piano, Michael told reporters: “It’s not the type of thing that should be in storage somewhere or being protected, it should be seen by people.”

Strawberry Field George Michael kept to his word and kept the movement’s flame alive by touring across the globe with the instrument in the 2000s, stating that the piano was a symbol of peace. The Wham! star later used the piano to record the song ‘Patience’. Although ‘Imagine’ was written at a different time from ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, both songs are regarded as landmarks in John Lennon’s career. ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ was partly inspired by Lennon’s childhood memories of visiting the Salvation Army’s children’s home to play in the gardens away from his suburban home. The story behind ‘Imagine’ is one of a larger scale, though. The song was inspired by Lennon’s disapproval of the Vietnam War, which was felt worldwide. However, Lennon was first inspired by the poem ‘Cloud Piece’ written by his widow, Yoko Ono, in her 1964 book Grapefruit. But the legacy of ‘Imagine’ is one that evolves with time, with John Lennon himself calling the song: “An ad campaign for peace.” This rings true nearly 50 years later, as the song has been played at various benefit concerts following terrorist acts as well as at the opening ceremony for

Picture: Rept0n1x f

John Lennon’s piano Picture: @Cubit3D

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the Korean Olympic Games. The song acts as a protest against hatred and a permanent celebration of life and love. In addition to making two cornerstones of musical history collide, the exhibition will be donating all the funds given by paying visitors to the Salvation Army to help change the lives of kids with learning disabilities. In a press statement, George Michael’s estate said that they were

George Michael Picture: Insasse “proud to be associated with Strawberry Field and the work that the Salvation Army do at the centre, helping young adults with learning difficulties acquire the skills and experience they so badly need to get employment. “We know that the piano will be a source of hope and inspiration to all who come to see it and to the young people who attend Strawberry Field not only during these difficult times but also for many years to come in the same way that it inspired George since he bought it some 20 years ago” Jessica Mason added: “I think we would have been busy anyway, with it being John’s 80th, but I think the piano’s boosted it even more now. It’s a real godsend for us.”

Monument to John Lennon in Central Park Picture: @mjaleo 5

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Call for racial justice HENRY BROWN reports on a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Anglican cathedral in response to recent assaults

rowds gathered outside the Anglican Cathedral on Saturday in support of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest. The event, which was organised by Merseyside BLM, sought to bring people together following two violent and racially charged incidents in the city centre in recent weeks. Marvin Tamale from Manchester was attacked on August 30 during the afternoon on Bold Street by a group of men who shouted racist abuse as they stamped on his face. In a similar incident on September 29, a group of thugs attacked a local man with machetes on Upper Duke Street, also whilst shouting racial abuse. At the time of writing, no arrests have been made in relation to either incident. The official Instagram page for Merseyside BLM (@MerseysideBLM) wrote ahead of the event: “Join us as we stand together to oppose racism in Liverpool and denounce the horrific attacks which have taken place over

the last month in the city centre.” Around 150 protesters were in attendance, almost all of whom wore masks, and social distancing measures were put in place. Protestors Helen Williams, 24 said: “What has happened in this city over the last month has shown how much work we still have to do.” “Liverpool should take a stand against all forms of racism,” added Josie Williams, 28.

STAND: Protesters gather outside the Anglican cathedral ten about,” said fellow protestor Zac Veglio, 24. The organisation, which seeks to organise peaceful protests against racial injustice and police brutality, became subject to controversy over summer as rioting and looting took place in America; however, in Britain protests

have remained largely peaceful. • Merseyside BLM have set up a fundraiser to provide financial aid and support for the victim of the machete attack which can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/chantelle-lunt

he Black Lives Matter movement, founded in July 2013, gained huge momentum following the death of George Floyd in May at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis as protests broke out across the world. #BlackoutTuesday saw massive support on social media channels such as Instagram as people came together to enforce a blackout of social feeds to raise awareness. “It’s important that we continue to keep black lives in the conversation and not for it to have just been a social media trend that will get forgot-

Photos © Henry Brown

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Zooming to a degree U K universities and colleges are re-inventing the way they teach thousands of students this year, with a move away from face-to-face classes to online lectures and seminars. The changes have received a mixed reaction from students and staff so now, six months after Online teaching first began, Liverpool Life has looked at what local universities and spoken to students about their feelings on having the whole academic year online, but still paying a full tuiton fee of £9000. Just before the country went into full lockdown earlier this year, universities switched to online teaching. Coming just before the end of the 2019/2020 academic year it caused confusion for students who were finishing their degress, but was ultimately backed by the large majority of students as means to an end during the worst period of the virus. Months later and still students are coming to terms with online classes, using Zoom calls as their only faceto-face contact.

With a number of universities in Liverpool, it was always likely that teaching would be online due to the sheer amount of students in the city. John Moores University, University of Liverpool, Hope University and LIPA are all in support of online teaching, therefore reducing the chance of spreading the virus if faceto-face teaching was as normal. Liverpool Hope issued a statement to students, which said: “Since Easter

By SAM HODGKISS

2020, all of our teaching staff have been working on flexible models of how to deliver your academic sessions, including online means.  Preparations are therefore well advanced to be able to deliver your course online and also to easily switch over to face to face delivery as and when the risk assessment permits that.  We are therefore confident of our flexibility and that students will receive a good quality online experience with a number of different ways of accessing materials and support.” Sally Wills, Vice-President of Liverpool Hope University’s Student Union confirmed that the statement addressed the Students Union views and echoed the actions of the other Liverpool universities. “The Universities and College Union (UCU), which acts to support lecturers in higher education schools also isssued a statement backing any ideas of avoiding face-to-face teaching,” she said. “The union fears that the migration of over a million students across the UK risks doing untold damage to people’s health and exacerbating the worst health crisis of our lifetimes. The UCU said it backed recommendations in a recent report from the independent Sage committee that called for online learning to become universities’ default position. The union said that although recorded cases were on the rise, the government has not provided systems for testing and tracing that could cope with campuses reopening. However, with all classes being moved online and students feeling they are not getting adequate teaching for the £9000 tuiton fee each year, young people have been voicing their

concerns and frustrations. James Burrowes, a graduate student of History from Liverpool John Moores University who is now studying a post-graduate PGCE course at Liverpool Hope University, said: “It’s a mess. I’ve paid all this money to have an extra year away from home studying for my future and it’s somewhat been taken away from me.

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The last three years of my life in Liverpool have been the best of my life - this has put a sad ending on my experience

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“Then you have the costs, £9000 a year for teaching that isn’t sufficient for my type of course where I’m not allowed experience in a school, then on top of that I’m paying rent for a house I now didn’t even need to live in, it’s all just so upsetting.” Tony Dominic, a current 3rd year studying Accounting at Liverpool John Moores University said: “With my course it’s all online, every single module. The fact that I feel like I’ve been thrown under the bus in my final year is disappointing. “In terms of paying the full £9000, I think there has to be something done about it. You can’t not provide all the things you say you would and still ask for a full payment, but I doubt anything will change which is the most frustrating thing as it feels like we’re fighting a battle which is already lost.” Liverpool John Moores University’s Student Union understands students’ disappointment. Lila Tamea, President of the

Student Union, issued an official statement which outlines hers and the Union’s views in support of students. “We know students are experiencing ‘less-than’ they expected, and that is not good enough. Our students deserve better than that, which is why we are joining forces with the #StudentsDeserveBetter campaign through NUS and other Students’ Unions. “It is not good enough that students are struggling financially due to lack of part-time work opportunities, it is not good enough that students feel misled into securing costly accommodation that many now feel trapped in, it is not good enough that students are feeling un-valued and un-heard and targeted as scapegoats for a situation not of their doing.” Liverpool John Moores University have released a statement on tuition fees and levels of teaching, saying: “As long as you continue to be a registered and enrolled student of the university, your tuition fee loan will still be paid by the Student Loans Company (SLC). This in turn ensures that you can continue to have access to our online materials, your academic tutors, have your assessments marked and receive appropriate feedback on your work.”

LJMU graduate James Burrowes

Students protest over university fees

By HENRY BROWN

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tudents from all universities in Liverpool congregated in Abercromby Square on Saturday to express their dismay at tuition fees and rent payments. “It’s such a shame because I feel like we’ve been lied too,” said protestor Ryan McCormick, 20. “We were sold a tale that we’d have an experience close to normal at university, yet once we’d all paid rent and the landlords’ pockets were lined, we’ve started to have massive restrictions placed on us.” Student Rafael Barbosa, 23, who lives in St Lukes View student accommodation, said: “Every time we go in or out at night time we have to show our keycards and give our names and dates of birth as you’re not allowed guests

We’re not being given any sort of privacy by security - I’m paying £6,000 to be told what to do and what not to do

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of any sort, I overheard a girl in the lift the other day who was upset because security wouldn’t let her boyfriend in to see her.” Almost all face to face teaching has been cancelled across the country as universities move their learning online, however students are still being charged full price for their tuition. Universities have insisted that students will still have access to the full range of resources and world

class teaching that justifies the full fees but some remain sceptical. Molly Jones, 21, who is studying for a masters in Psychology, said that she had found the transition to online extremely difficult: “it’s really hard to keep pace with everything when it’s all online, especially as it is a masters.” “The Open University specialises in online learning yet charge a third of the fees we are being charged, I regret not looking into them more.” The protest came ahead of an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson which placed Liverpool in a ‘tier 3 lockdown’ with pubs and gyms closing across the region; and as infection rates rise it is hard to see students’ situations changing any time soon.

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Foodbank reliance on the rise

SHANNON GARNER meets members of Merseyside food charities to find out how the current pandemic has affected their services

Sorting out supplies

ew research shows that reliance on food banks across the UK has seen a dramatic rise since the coronavirus crisis began. A report released by the Trussell Trust last month states that around half of the people who have used a food bank since COVID-19 have never needed one before. The Big Help Project and the PLS Food Foundation, both Merseyside charities which aim to alleviate poverty, have spoken openly about the impact of the current pandemic on their organisations. There have been numerous tweets about the ‘desperate need’ for specific items and about how donations in 2020 have been ‘considerably reduced’ due to lockdown for not only Knowsley’s food banks, but also for those across the country. Bridie Menton, senior support officer for The Big Help Project said: “Each department has seen an increase in need

but none more than our food services. Our food services have seen a whole increase in demand.” She told Liverpool Life: “People who have never financially struggled or experienced food poverty before have been having to reach out for help and support. Since March 2020, our food support services have distributed food to over 30,000 people. In comparison, Knowsley food bank fed around 10,000 last year.” When asked how the food banks and organisation have been reacting to this increase, she said: “As the need grew to an unprecedented level during the pandemic, the food banks and Big Help Project have acquired the help of Knowsley Council, corporate funding, food from businesses forced to close, individual and local business donations.” The lockdown and restrictions that have been on-going since March have also shown a sense of community despite the situation causing many to feel like they were alone. Bridie said the community has been a huge help.

She said: “We have also partnered with community groups to deliver the food to those shielding during the worst of the pandemic. We have reached out to the community and they have come to our aid during the most demanding time we have ever seen.”

he award-winning Knowsley-based charity is said to have been “extremely lucky” with its volunteers during the tough times but has had the issue of many of them having to shield during the height of COVID-19 as most tend to be older. However, they have had help from groups such as Liverpeddlerpool and the or YourTravel organisation who delivered food during the height of lockdown. Despite having just enough volunteers to run the food banks and being given funding from Knowsley Council to fulfil the level of needs, Bridie said: “The main effect has been on our food donations. There have been many times when our trays and warehouse have been a lot

emptier than it usually would be.” Paul Martin, the chair of PLS Food Liverpool added: “The supply of items has reduced a little. Supply chains to our normal donation partners have dried up and in the case of one regular partner it stopped altogether as their restaurants closed.” The Trussell Trust report also states that there is likely to be another increase in the need for food banks during this winter. It is expected to increase by 61% which will equal six parcels being given out every minute. Bridie said: “During the build up to Christmas, when many have more heating and gas bills and have to choose between heating or eating, food poverty is at its highest. We really hope people are able to give what they can in winter.” Paul added: “Demand often has a tendency to increase between late October and January. I expect this to be even more difficult this winter. As always, our charity will do its best to get food items to wherever they need to be.”

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Standing in solidarity

olidariTee, an international student-led charity, has launched a new t-shirt in a campaign to support the refugee crisis. The group has a presence at 53 universities across six countries and the University of Liverpool has recently joined the campaign. The charity has now revealed this year’s printed t-shirt in a bid to raise money for refugees and asylum seekers internationally. The charity was founded in 2017, by Tiara Sahar Ataii, a first-year student at the University of Cambridge. It began after Tiara volunteered with a Non-governmental Organisation providing legal aid in Greece and decided she wanted to raise funds for the refugee crisis. Using her student loan, she had t-shirts printed to sell around campus and eventually the campaign spread to other universities. Over the first two years of campaigning they reached donations and sales of over £43,000. The charity emphasises the importance of supporting refugees that are left with no choice but to flee dangerous conflict and war zones, who are then put in inhumane conditions in over-crowded and dangerous makeshift camps across Europe. SolidariTee offers grants to individuals and NGOs, to provide legal-aid for refugees and asylum seekers to gain the right to education, accommodation and healthcare. The charity uses refugee or refugee-inspired artwork as the basis for

By ROMY WILSON their t-shirt designs. The inspiration for this year’s t-shirt design came about following a trip that Alexa Netty, SolidariTee’s executive director, took to find out more about the work NGOs were doing in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Alexa came across a life-sized design in a community centre called Elpida Home and said: “I was immediately really moved that it had been created by a group of refugees and asylum seekers as part of an art workshop, with each person standing against the wall in a different pose whilst the others traced their outline on the paper.

he group then coloured in the overlapping segments of the outlines to create a unified design, which, to me represented the diversity of histories and experiences amongst the refugee and asylum seeking community, and yet the connectedness of a shared experience of being forced to flee one’s home, something no one should ever have to experience.” MPs including Caroline Lucas, Johnathon Bartley, Tim Farron and Jeremy Corbyn have shown their support for the campaign. Now more than ever, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, refugees and asylum seekers are in desparate situations requiring financial and physical support from NGO’s. Poppy Cleary, 21, head representa-

tive of the University of Liverpool’s SolidariTee team, said: “Greek Asylum Service closed for several weeks, upon reopening we were dealing with unprecedented levels of need." This has made the day-to-day running of things even more difficult than it was before for them, so SolidariTee hopes to be able to raise even more money to provide them with more assistance in working through the backlog. She added: “In March, a grant of £10,000 was provided to Kitrinos Healthcare. "Kitrinos is a medical aid NGO working on an emergency COVID-19 preparedness plan in Moria camp, which was at the time home to over 20,000 asylum seekers, on an island with just three ICU beds.” Poppy says that a great way to educate yourself on the refugee crisis is making sure “you look at a variety of news sources and how the refugee crisis is being reported, and look out for what information is missing and what media outlets might not be telling you”. She said: “By understanding the refugee crisis better, it is then much easier to speak to family and friends about what is going on; if you are informed it’s much more likely someone will listen to you. “Also, you can look out for petitions to sign on a variety of matters and posting things on your social media profiles about the refugee crisis shouldn’t be underestimated in its effectiveness." Poppy added: "You never know

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If you are informed it's much more likely someone will listen

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Photos © Nazy Raouf 9

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Rethink, reskill, reboot, ridicule! By SARAH TAYLOR

The original advert campaign that was posted to the Government website.

Plenty of ‘memes’ were created in response to the advert.

Even Doctor Who villains got in on the act... 10

new Government campaign, encouraging cretive workers to retrain in the technology sector, released this week has been extremely controversial, with many labelling it “insulting” and “insensitive”. The current concerns over the state of jobs in the arts has been worrying for many, and with little help from the Government, many feel this is yet again rubbing salt deeper into the wounds. Social media exploded with people expressing their anger towards the advert. Some even pointed out that the photo of the ballerina was not shot by the Government, yet licenced from a photographer. Liverpool based @GuyTweetsALot on Twitter said: “They just licenced this photo from a photographer based in Atlanta, GA. So she’s not Fatima, she’s not from the UK, and most definitely will not be getting her next job ‘in cyber’. I hate everything about this ad”. However, anger soon turned into hilarity as multiple remixes of the picture were created, with the Government coming under fire and getting ‘new jobs’. Some ran with the scandal of Dominic Cummings driving to Barnard Castle back in April, giving him the job of a “tour guide” or that he should work in “Specsavers”. Others hinted that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson could be getting “sacked” very soon but “he just doesn’t know it yet”.

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Musicians in fight for the future

By CHLOE O’CONNOR nxious artists are calling for help to save their future, saying they believe they are being left at the bottom of the pile in terms of the government’s priority list. Arts professionals are feeling the pinch of the lockdown restrictions, with some having had to sell their houses and move back in with their parents after dedicating years of their life to the creative arts and entertainment industry. The government’s latest restrictions have meant that performances such as concerts and pantomimes are put on the back-burner, while trying to fight off the coronavirus. But many feel as though they are not being given the support they so desperately need. Restrictions include a one metre minimum social distancing rule, required face masks in any indoor setting and a track and trace system. Senior systems engineer for Ablib Liverpool, James Coghlan explained that under the flexi-furlough system he has only worked four days since March. The 28-year-old said: “It was very surreal. Obviously, everyone there was wearing PPE, but it was a glimpse of what might be able to come back but only with the right tar-

Shea Doolin performing live

geted support from the government. Our turnover is down 95% and we’ve had to make 56 people redundant, which is one third of our workforce.” The government announced a grant for the entertainment industry in July, offering a £1.57 billion emergency support package. It was said to be “the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff while their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.” This grant is accessible to many across the country but according to the senior engineer, from Cambridge: “The grant has been a huge help to certain small venues, but a large majority has been given to museums and churches.” He went on to explain that he has friends who have had to sell their houses and friends who have had to move in with their parents. They are all freelancers who have been missed by this targeted support. They are people who still have bills to pay and a business to run but without any income to pay those bills they have had to take out loans and sell their houses. As Liverpool enters the tier-three band for restrictions there now seems

Local artist, Shea Doolin to be a growing level of anxiety in performers. Local solo artist Shea Doolin got lucky in the last lockdown and used his savings to survive; he expresses his concern for his future mental state and financial situation if the country has to fully lock down again. The 22-year-old said: “I don’t want to get in trouble, but the government didn’t make it very obvious about what we’re supposed to do when we come back. “Us musicians were the last to go back and having no income for a lot of months meant it was very tough. I used to have six to eight gigs a day now I have one or two a week. I’ve got loads of bills to pay. I know I’m in a bad place, but I know musicians who have families to support. I feel let down.” It’s not just those in the music industry who have concerns for the future. City Entertainment group owner Barry Ley, writer and mentor, explained his worries regarding his show in January, as he doesn’t know if the public will be confident to go

Photos © Shea Doolin outside and watch a performance so soon. His company sells theatrical scripts and offer mentoring and consultation classes. The 41-year-old said: “To be seen at the bottom of the chain is awful and it will take time for it to rebuild. I think it needs a five-year-plan now, but we also have to be proactive as well and follow the restrictions.” The mentor has been actively trying to bring attention to this issue and took part in a virtual protest week that meant all performers in the art industry had to post on social media a picture of them in action with the phrase “#savethearts”. Barry has suffered a lot of financial loss during this lockdown and has only in the last few weeks started to sell his scripts and offer consultation again. The theatre networking enthusiast tries to stay positive in such difficult times. He said: “I know the sales will happen again over the next few months and into the new year. You’ve got to become a realist. Take the hit, take the knock, but you’ve got to get back up.”

Photos © Shea Doolin 11

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“Not just a number, but a name to be remembered” LOLA ROBERTS meets charity founders who turned their heartbreak into a lasting legacy

couple who launched a charity highlighting the heartbreak of stillbirths after losing their own daughter have spoken of the impact of Covid-19 on the fundraising activities of organisations like theirs. Dom Gilvarry and his wife Karen formed Team Ella after their daughter Ella was born stillborn in November 2010. Since then they have dedicated their lives to supporting families through Team Ella and national baby loss prevention charity Mama Academy. Karen said: “(Team Ella) was set up as a legacy to Ella, we started our work in February 2011 and just got the local community involved in running events and so on to basically support the work of bigger charities but over time we raised managed to raise £150,000.” According to Dom the UK has one of the worst stillbirth rates in the Western world but over the last eight years figures have reduced by 20%, thanks to charities like Team Ella who work to prevent baby loss and stillbirths. Dom says it was a “natural progression” for him to turn his charity work into a fulltime occupation and now works with national charity Mama Academy towards preventing baby loss and helping all babies arrive safely. However, he said, this year the charity has lost 80% of funding. Its annual ‘Sunflower ball’ was meant to take place at the end of September

but had to be cancelled due to coronavirus. The gala was estimated to raise in the region of £10,000, most of which would have been going to maternity care services in the Liverpool area. “One of the challenges we are facing within the charity at the moment with the current pandemic is seeing all the fantastic work stop. Funding has decreased and NHS services are stretched, we are hoping this does not show in stillbirth figures but we are very worried that we will see an increase for the first time in 10 years,” he said. A spokesperson for Mama Academy said: “Within Mama Academy the projects we work on are about education and empowering mothers-to-be. We give them general pregnancy information such as foetal movement reductions that mothers should be aware of. We also educate them on other health issues such as diabetes within pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, reducing and hopefully quitting smoking.” The charity has been providing this information through the production of ‘wellbeing wallets’ since 2012, which are designed to contain women’s antenatal notes. They have already proven to be very useful over the years in many NHS trusts across the country. “We know of many expectant mothers who read our information and therefore become aware of issues within their pregnancy that were then flagged early and resulted in a positive outcome which may not have been if not for our wellbeing

wallets. That shows that the work we are doing is beneficial to the NHS, care units and mothers-to-be.” Mama Academy is currently in the middle of a project with Liverpool Women’s hospital and is hoping to supply their safer pregnancy products free of charge for them to trial within their unit The spokesperson added: “Our wellbeing wallets cost 75p a unit, for less than a pound we can give a pregnant woman all the information she needs. However, for the 10,000 women that walk into the women’s hospital per year that would need £10,000 worth of funding.” Fortunately, not all fundraising events have had to be scrapped and last weekend more than 170 people participated in the ‘Carry their names Virtual 5km’ for Mama Academy. Dom sent out running packs to the fund-raising runners, who call them-

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selves the Sunflower Army. Every pound they raise goes towards preventing baby loss and they spread the message that the babies lost are “not just a number, but a name to be remembered.” Wendy Osborne, who took part in the event, told Liverpool Life: “Raising awareness of stillbirth is so important - the vision of Mama Academy is ‘For there to be no more preventable stillbirths in the UK’.  “It is so important to remember the babies that have been lost and encourage people to talk, especially at the moment where people may be more cautious about picking up the phone to speak to a midwife or a doctor. “I know in recent months fundraising has been more of a challenge which is why I wanted to raise awareness and funds through this virtual event.”

Within Mama Academy the projects we work on are about education and empowering mothers-to-be

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Top left: Dom and his wife Karen at a Sunfower Ball. Above: The Sunflower Army Pictures©Dom Gilvarry

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Lamp-posts throughout Merseyside can be seen with the mysterious sticker

Photos © Gioia Dalosso Hemnell

Shhhh ... Secret and super villains are among us By GIOIA DALOSSO HEMNELL

here is no avoiding the mysterious stickers that are fixed to almost every lamp post on the streets of Merseyside. The easily-recognisable propaganda-style logo for The Secret Society of Super Villain Artists is also stenciled onto telephone data cabinets all over the region, but behind the puzzling placements is a worldwide network of people wanting to make a difference. The society is hellbent on “making a difference in the world while having a good time doing it”, according to its mission statement. A global network of street artists and creators champion important causes, host exhibitions to raise money for charities and appose social injustices. They call themselves villains. Going under the alias Silent Bill, the organisation’s founder is an unlikely figure. “I’m just a normal bloke from the Wirral. I work as a carer and have a small family,” he said. Silent Bill started the society as a joke, putting out prank application forms on social media to start the

community. “When people came back with cleverly adapted artwork, I thought something interesting could come of it,” he added. Since then the society has grown into a global network of thousands. Search the hashtag #SSOSVA and you will find more than 15,000 posts on Instagram from every corner of the world. The bastion cities for SSOSVA are Liverpool, London and Bristol, but other members are from Australia, America and throughout Europe. “Chapters of SSOSVA produce their own art, they make their own interpretations of our logo to support and raise awareness for a cause that is important for them,” Silent Bill explained. The group’s autonomous structure means that not every villain falls into line with the ethos of the cause. “There have been times when vandalism has discredited what we are trying to achieve, but we don’t stand for that. We stand for people to be creative and express themselves through sharing their art”. A number of the villains see themselves as part of a family that brings together artists from other countries and allows them to be affiliated to a bigger network in order to showcase their art on a larger platform.

Bill now wants to move the organisation beyond the subculture of urban art to a movement that allows for a wider audience. “It has brought so many artists and other people together and we have tried to make a difference wherever we can,” Silent Bill said.

There is prolific elegance to the simplistic approach of The Secret Society of Super Villain Artists. “Art has the power to move you and inspire you. We want people to have a place where they are free to make a piece about social themes that matter today,” noted Silent Bill.

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Art has the power to move you and inspire you

Telephone data cabinet with the SSOSVA logo

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Dark Knight home to roost The latest Hollywood blockbuster to be filmed in Liverpool has brought stars onto the city’s streets, as SHANNON GARNER reports

arts of Liverpool have been transformed into Gotham City as filming for the new Batman movie continues. St George’s Hall, St John’s Gardens and the Lime Street Station entrance are now surrounded by barriers and fencing and a number of roads, including William Brown Street, have been closed to accommodate filming. The production, which was originally set to begin in March but was delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak, is expected to be filming in the city until October 16 The film stars Robert Pattinson as the new Batman. The 34-yearold actor was soon spotted on set of the movie on Monday morning as he arrived to shoot what appeared to be a funeral scene sporting a smart black suit. Despite being in the midst of a pandemic, before Pattinson’s arrival, hundreds of people were seen gathering as close to the historical building as they could, as it was mainly cordoned off, in hopes to

get a glimpse of the big production underway. The production crew and cast members were also seen putting safety first as they were all wearing face coverings, unless appearing on camera. Other areas of Liverpool are also set to become part of Gotham City as Anfield Cemetery has had production crews setting up over the weekend too. Filming at this location will involve a one-way traffic system being put into place. The Boardwalk Barbershop in Liverpool, as well as other businesses and residents near Cherry Lane, received a letter about filming in Anfield. In the letter, the production team has asked the public to stay away from the area due to coronavirus restrictions and informed them that it will not be possible to enter or exit Anfield Cemetery during the filming period. The Batman movie, which was originally scheduled to hit theatres in 2021, now has a new release date of 2022 with sequels already planned.

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Striving For Inclusion

By ANNISHA MARAJ iverpool-born poet, writer, actor and workshop facilitator Patrick Graham believes that Black History should be celebrated all year round but that October is a culmination of the year’s celebrations. So he was more than happy to be involved in this year’s events with a special reading of his book ‘The Three Little Jamaicans’. Patrick has performed in educational and historical plays at both the Everyman and Unity theatres in Liverpool as well as community centers. The Scouse author is a member of Liverpool Black History Research Group and has a working background in immigration advice and advocacy in Liverpool and Manchester as well as youth and community support work in Liverpool and Wirral. ‘The Three Little Jamaicans’ was originally written as a radio play by Patrick, who later changed it to a story. The book is inspired by his oldest brother and two sisters when they came to the UK when they, too, were little Jamaicans. Reading his book for WOW Fest’s Black History Month event, Patrick told Liverpool Life: “It’s an honour and a pleasure to be reading my book as this is something which I feel is needed for writers who are black to have a voice”. Although Patrick does not wish to undermine his talent by labelling himself purely as a ‘black writer’ as he sees this as unfair. “I consider myself as a writer. Is J K Rowling called a white writer? In a word, NO!” he exclaimed. Liverpool Life asked the 52-year-old if he had ever experienced racism growing up in Liverpool. He said it was a regular occurrence. “Despite having many fond childhood memories these were blighted by many racist encounters, too,” he recalled. Patrick remembers his street being racially divided and having to run to a certain point to avoid having abuse hurled or even being attacked. This

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The Liverpool author initiating change through writing

all took place in Toxteth, Liverpool 8 - an area where racial unrest was constant. The 1981 Toxteth riots were the aftermath of what had been a time of turmoil after a young man called Leroy Cooper was arrested for assault but was a victim of police brutality. Patrick spoke of his family’s racist experience in Liverpool 8 when he was only three years old. The poet remembers his mother telling him how the next door neighbours would call the family names, and even vandalise their home. Patrick said: “My mum knew how to conquer hate with love and, one day, for my third birthday party invited some of the neighbours’ younger children into the party.” Soon after, the family did not experience any more trouble and grew to become friends with the neighbours. As a child Patrick describes never seeing a book with black children or people on the front cover, nor were they the main characters. The Three Little Jamaicans is a book to which young black children and adults can relate. Despite this, the book also displays inclusion, showing children and people of all colours and backgrounds can be featured on book covers and be the main characters in books. Patrick said: “We are in a world made up of many people and storytelling is as old as humankind itself so all peoples need to be represented in stories.” When asked who his favorite character in the book was, Patrick said it was Lenky. He said: “There are little bits of myself in the character of Lenky,

We are in a world made up of many people, and story-telling is as old as humankind itself

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so I suppose I’ve got to love him. I love the way he uses his imagination and fond memories to deal with situations that he finds difficult.” Patrick also spoke of his plans to write more adventures for The Three Little Jamaicans, adding that he is writing another book which is based on a play he wrote and performed some time ago. ‘The Three Little Jamaicans: English Adventure’ is available from New from Nowhere, 96 Bold Street, Liverpool or Amazon Books.

Picture credits: Annisha Maraj Pictured to the left: Patrick Graham Top Image: The book cover

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Pudsey’s back - and he needs your help

By WES POWELL he BBC charity Children in Need has officially launched its 2020 appeal and hopes to raise a record amount for its 40th birthday, with Merseyside organisations set to benefit from the campaign. This year’s fundraiser, called ‘Together, We Can’, has kicked off amidst heightened worries over the impacts of Coronavirus on children and young people. The announcement follows the release of figures concerning youth wellbeing. A recent YouGov survey shows that a worrying 94% of children have experienced sadness or anxiety over the past six months since the pandemic started, and over half stated that they felt lonelier than before lockdown. The survey also showed that families with young children in lower economic groups (C2DE) have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and are the most likely to become anxious and worried over struggles to afford food and household bills. Over half of parents have also expressed concern that the effects of Coronavirus will have severely negative impacts on the education and career prospects of their kids. When money raised by the charity is spent in Liverpool it helps to support some of the most vulnerable people in the community. One example is the Whitechapel Centre, near Everton, which has already seen a grant of almost £125,000 to provide guidance and activities for young people experi-

2020 will be Pudsey’s 35th year as the Children in Need mascot encing homelessness across the city. Additionally, £110,000 worth of funding has also been given by Children in Need to The Brain Charity, which is based in the city centre, to provide a release for children suffering from neurological conditions. This comes in the form of weekly dance and craft sessions and group therapy, to help improve their physical health and boost their self-esteem. Since it first started in 1980, Children in Need has so far raised a massive £1.5 billion (adjusting for inflation) to help improve the lives of children across the UK. Last year the total raised reached £48.7 million - and the charity hopes to top that again next month. The money raised each year is funnelled into around 2,500 projects that happen across the country, providing support for kids and their parents who are in difficult situations and in serious need of help.

Celebs supporting the cause...

‘Together we can transform children’s lives’

For information on how you can help support the cause, visit www. bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/fundraising/

Top left - Alfie Boe, top right - Matt Baker, centre - Dick and Dom, bottom left - Alex Scott, bottom right - Jamie Oliver © BBCchildreninneed.co.uk

STOP!

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Is it time to go sober? “I used to feel fatigued

and anxious with a cloudy brain when I drank .... I have a more balanced life. I will never go back to drinking and it should be respected more

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Matthew Dalton drinking abroad

By CHLOE O’CONNOR

ne benefit of the government shutting down pubs at 10pm is that going sober for October just got that little bit easier. Or has it? Go Sober for October is a campaign organised by drinkaware.com to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. In 2020 so far there are 60,606 registered ‘soberheroes’ and there has been £2,606,715 raised to date. The charity uses the money to provide support emotionally, physically and financially to millions of people living with cancer. Liverpool Life spoke to Scouse self-proclaimed beer expert Matthew Dalton about his failed experience in 2020 and how he just can’t seem to say no to a cheeky pint after work. The Amstel-loving 25-year-old said: “I wanted to lose a bit of weight if I’m honest and just chill out. I’ve found myself drinking a lot more than I did before because I’ve got nothing else to do. “I got a week into it but it’s the social aspect… I can’t really see myself sat there with a bottle of Diet Coke whilst everyone else is having a pint. I think if I was out and about a bit more, I could see myself doing it but while I’m in a lockdown that’s not going to happen. I love going to the pub and getting a random pint of anything.”

to say no an ice-cold beer after a long day. Long-term boozer avoider Charlie Rogers has been partaking in Sober October for many years now after he experienced “massive physical health changes”. The 22-year-old fitness fanatic has been sober for an astonishing two years to focus on his university work. He said: “I used to feel fatigued and anxious with a cloudy brain when I drank. I feel like I can get tasks done more easily. I have a more balanced life. I will never go back to drinking and it should be respected more.”

he caffeine-addicted Diet Coke lover passed this piece of motivation on for anyone who wishes to succeed this month: “People should surround themselves with friends that will encourage them to do it. Friends who will help each other find new and fun ways of having fun that does involve alcohol and try a mocktail.” If you wish to go sober in October, and it’s never too late to raise money for charity, then head over to their website at https://www.gosober.org.uk/

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Isabel Leask’s ‘full glam’ look before Covid- 19

A client of Isabel’s now the restrictions are in force

Why it’s turning ugly in the beauty business

By LOLA ROBERTS ake-up artists across the country have certainly taken hit after hit during the pandemic. After four months of teaching makeup classes over Zoom, they were finally allowed to return to work. However, the salons they have returned to are not the same as the ones they left behind and it’s going to take a bit more than a dot of concealer to fix it. There was a time when you would be greeted with a glass of Prosecco as you arrived for your makeup appointment, surrounded by all your friends and excited for the night ahead - but now that is just a distant memory. You now have to arrive alone, greeted by a temperature gun to the forehead to make sure you are not infected. And just like the Prosecco, conversing with your make-up artist (MUA) is also a thing of the past. It is almost impossible to communicate through a visor covered in condensation from their hot breath. Consequently, you have to stare blankly ahead as you wait for your brown smoke to be packed onto your eyelid, describing what colour pigment you want knowing she has no idea what you just said because of your face covering and watching in awe as she manages to put on your

fake lashes whilst wearing rubber gloves - as if it wasn’t already difficult enough. After an hour of glamming in a salon with an atmosphere that can only be described as morgue-like, you can only hope this is not a sign of what’s to come as you party till 10pm. I spoke to Isabel Leask, a make-up artist from Liverpool, about how coronavirus has affected her time at work to find out how working in a salon feels now compared to before lockdown. “The atmosphere is completely different, our job is not only to make people feel good about themselves but to also get them excited for the night ahead which is hard to do now,” she said. “We used to have four make-up artists doing seven clients a day, now we are only able to have two make-up artists in and we are lucky if we do two clients each. “We used to get big groups of girls coming in from all over the country. They could have a drink and have a good time together whilst we got them ready for their night out. “Now we are only allowed one client in at a time and weddings have been cancelled so we have lost a big target market for us.” The biggest fear for make-up artists and beauty experts is that coronavirus restrictions could cause their businesses to close. Isabel said: “I work for a big brand that sells a lot of products online so

Isabel Leask in her new ‘normal’ work uniform I have been lucky enough to be on a furlough pay, however, I have lots of friends who are self-employed and can no longer afford their rent and have to look for another job.

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“It was okay when we weren’t allowed to work and were able to apply for grants. Now we can work but nobody is going out because bars are shutting and they are scared.”

Client numbers are also down ... We can work, but nobody is going out

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Sunset through rain over the Royal Liverpool golf course by SARAH TAYLOR

Liverpool Life 9:2 October 14 2020

Articles inside

Charity launches t-shirts to support refugees in

Children in Need launch urgent appeal

Food Banks under pressure